English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

What's the rule for adding -er vs. -or when nouning a verb? Incorrectly states that one can add "-er" to any verb. This is not so, for instance, "iser" or "beer" (or possibly even "luncher" to pick something less fancy). Is there a rule or correlation or general linguistic source of verbs th...

Cerberus

I'd prefer a 26-hours cycle.

aedia λ

@JasperLoy It's kind of ridiculous, the time switch. Hawaii and Arizona don't switch... all kinds of exceptions... software testing is a nightmare with it.

simchona

Answer:

Q: When are the noun and gerund form of a verb the same?

To noun a verb, you sometimes use the gerund, e.g. "to happen" --> "a happening", and sometimes it's a different word, e.g. "to arrive" --> not *"an arriving" but "an arrival". Is there a rule for which is which? Currently I just use whichever sounds good, being a native speaker.

morphology

aedia λ

@Cerberus With two more hours of sleep?

Cerberus

@aediaλ Maybe just one would be enough?

9 hours of sleep, 17 hours awake?

aedia λ

11:17 PM

@Cerberus Just getting eight and still being able to be properly half-nocturnal would be enough.

Cerberus

@aediaλ I agree.

How about 9 sleep, 19 awake?

Fallen Angel even pleaded for a 30-hour cycle.

aedia λ

I'm not sure how I can test what I am best suited for.

I do think nine hours asleep is good.

Cerberus

Yeah I don't know either.

All I know is that the current system is perverted.

aedia λ

You can say that again.

Cerberus

All I know is that the current system is perverted.

Sorry.

aedia λ

11:23 PM

Hahaha.

I always found "you can say that again" to be funny. It does seem like it's just asking for it.

Cerberus

Yeah where does it come from anyway?

aedia λ

I think there's a site where you can ask those kind of questions...

Cerberus

I wonder what implied sentence makes it make sense.

@aediaλ Huh? Is it a forum?

aedia λ

> you can say that again as a phrase expressing agreement is recorded from 1942, Amer.Eng.

etymonline.com/index.php?search=say&searchmode=none

That's all I got.

I have no idea why.

Cerberus

Hmm.

I'm expecting something like, "... and I will still be surprised", or whatever.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

11:32 PM

Hey, here's a surprise for you: I'm going to bed!

And I won't say that again.

So have fun hearties.

Cerberus

Night!

I am astonished.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

You will forget.

aedia λ

G'night Reg!

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Oh, and here's my replacement just in!

Cerberus

@RegDwightѬſ道 And your alter ego awakens!

Jinx!

RegDwight Ѭſ道

11:33 PM

Jinx.

Meta-jinx.

Cerberus

You morphed too early.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Happens.

Jet lag.

Byez!

Cerberus

Bye!

Jet lag, of course.

aedia λ

@Cerberus A horse is a horse, of course, of course. And no one can talk to a horse, of course.

Cerberus

Hey was that Mr Ed?

I seem to remember something.

aedia λ

11:36 PM

@Cerberus Uh oh. hands you a thermometer Feeling ok?

Cerberus

Yes, it's gone.

It was just a horse whinnying outside.

user19161

Q: What do you call the wordplay consisting of repeating a word twice with different meanings?

I'm looking for the particular case when the term and its repetition are side-by-side. I don't have a good example, so here is a poor one: We do dew! Is there a word for this kind of wordplay?

single-word-requests

Cerberus

or a phantom.

simchona

@JasperLoy Is that punning?

user19161

There is no word repetition in OP's example as I commented.

simchona

11:39 PM

@JasperLoy Haha

user19161

@simchona Hmm, not sure. Maybe there is a more specific term.

user19161

So I am not sure whether he wants the word or only the sound repeated, and if so must the sound be exactly the same?

user19161

Overall, not a clear question.

user19161

@Cerberus Who is Mr Ed?

aedia λ

@JasperLoy I think OP means homophones, that the words sound the same but don't have to be spelled the same.

user19161

11:43 PM

@aediaλ Then maybe you want to help him edit the question.

Cerberus

Mister Ed

Mister Ed is an American television situation comedy produced by Filmways that first aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The stars of the show are Mister Ed, a palomino horse who could talk ("played" by gelding Bamboo Harvester and voiced by Allan Lane), and his owner, an eccentric and enormously klutzy yet friendly architect named Wilbur Post (portrayed by Alan Young). Much of the program's humor stemmed from the fact Mister Ed would speak only to Wilbur, as well as Ed's notoriety as a troublemaker. According t...

user19161

@Cerberus OK I thought you might have meant Ed Guiness.

Cerberus

►

@JasperLoy Hmm who is that?

user19161

@Cerberus user here

Cerberus

Ah OK.

aedia λ

11:47 PM

@JasperLoy I added a note but I didn't want to mess up the question if the OP meant something else.

Cerberus

Does he look like that?

aedia λ

Oh, goodness, it's late. Must run.

user19161

@aediaλ See you!

user19161

@Cerberus No, I think he is a man, not a horse, the last I checked.

aedia λ

Tot ziens!

Cerberus

11:48 PM

Bye!

@JasperLoy Oh, too bad.

Vitaly

11:59 PM

hey @Cerberus, I am sorry about earlier. I promise that if you come to the other room I shall try not to make statements about pleasure or Kongai I cannot readily defend.